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46 arrested in 'huge' knockoff merchandise raid

Agents from the Department of Homeland Security and Lawrence police arrested 46 people Saturday afternoon in what an official described as a "huge" law enforcement operation.

Updated: 7:13 AM EDT May 11, 2014

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46 arrested in 'huge' knockoff merchandise raid

Agents from the Department of Homeland Security and Lawrence police arrested 46 people Saturday afternoon in what an official described as a "huge" law enforcement operation.

Updated: 7:13 AM EDT May 11, 2014

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46 arrested in 'huge' knockoff merchandise raid

Agents from the Department of Homeland Security and Lawrence police arrested 46 people Saturday afternoon in what an official described as a "huge" law enforcement operation.

Updated: 7:13 AM EDT May 11, 2014

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WEBVTT ARRESTS AS THE FEDS RAID A LAWRENCE FLEA MARKET. BOXES OF GOODS CARTED AWAY. ONLY NEWSCENTER 5 WAS THERE AS LAW ENFORCEMENT TEAMS CLAMPED DOWN. OUR KIMBERLY BOOKMAN IS LIVE IN LAWRENCE WITH THE STORY. KIMBERLY? WELL, PAM, IT'S STILL GOING ON AT THIS HOUR. TAKE A LOOK OVER MY SHOULDER. AGENTS ARE COMING OUT OF THIS WAREHOUSE AND PUTTING GOODS INTO THAT TRAILER. THIS IS A HUGE OPERATION. MANY MONTHS IN THE MAKING. HOMELAND SECURITY AGENTS DESCEND ON THIS LAWRENCE WAREHOUSE ALONG NORTH CANAL STREET SATURDAY MORNING. AFTER A LONG-TERM INVESTIGATION, THEY SAY THEY KNEW THAT INSIDE A FLEA MARKET WAS SELLING COUNTERFEIT GOODS. WE'VE LEARNED EVERYTHING FROM FAKE NORTH FACE JACKETS TO COPIES OF DESIGNER HANDBAGS, ALONG WITH UNLICENSED C.D.'S AND D.V.D.'S. POCKETBOOKS. YOU KNOW, GLASSES. WATCHES. CLOTHES. A LOT OF BRUINS JERSEYS. JANE WORKS NEXT DOOR AND SAID THE FEDS AND LAWRENCE POLICE ARRIVED AT 9:30 IN THE MORNING AND STAYED LATE INTO THE NIGHT. THEY'RE BREG OUT THE MERCHANDISE AND BRINGING OUT THE BOXES AND PACKING IT ALL UP. IN TOTAL 46 PEOPLE GOT ARRESTED FOR SELLING COUNTERFEIT GOODS AND WERE TAKEN TO THE LAWRENCE POLICE STATION TO GET BOOKED. WE LEARNED MANY OF THE SUSPECTS NOT SPEAK ENGLISH AND AN INTERPRETER HELPED WITH THE LANGUAGE BARRIER. WHILE BOXES OF EVIDENCE FILLED A TRAILER OUTSIDE THE SCENE, WITNESSES SAY BIGGER ITEMS WERE SEIZED AS WELL. THEY GO TO THEIR VEHICLES. AND INSTEAD OF TOWING THEM. AND THE D.A.'S OFFICE TELLS US THAT THESE SUSPECTS WILL BE ARRAIGNED EARLY THIS WEEK.